


Nat's Notorious

by Westpass



Series: Steve Gets Schooled [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-10-07 04:18:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17358803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Westpass/pseuds/Westpass
Summary: In which Avengers or their acquaintances try to bring Steve up to speed on modern life, with mixed results





	Nat's Notorious

Steve wandered down to the Tower's gym after his conversation(if you could call it that) with Stark and Potts.

This whole 'freedom of expression' bit seemed to be all one way from what he could tell. He wasn't allowed to voice his own beliefs without being scolded like a little kid. 

Standing up for what was right should be more important than sucking up to reporters or rich politicians.

But he could see what Stark was getting at. He'd agreed to not ask certain questions in an 'official' capacity anymore.

He found one of the punching bags that Stark had designed for him and Thor, after they'd broken several of the normal ones. 

A flash of crimson caught his eye. He turned to see Romanoff wrapping her hands by one of the normal heavy bags. 

"Need some help?" he called, walking over to her.

"I'm good," she replied with a headshake. 

"If you're sure." 

That got him a brief, unfriendly stare before she turned away. 

 

After a few punches, she stopped. Not looking around, she asked, "Was there something else you wanted?"

 

"Um. Well, I..."

 

"You're not good at being stealthy. Or lying. " Nat faced him. "What's up?"

 

"Do you...Maybe this is too personal. Barton was telling me about a couple of the missions you've been on. I thought...from what he said, you don't like men?"

 

She chuckled wryly. "Actually, I do. They're easier to influence than women a lot of the time, especially young ones. Sex sells better to them. Not that the women don't have their weak points too. "

 

"Oh. I just--I meant--when you have a choice, which is it, for you?"

Nat was looking at him very strangely now. "Steve, how much do you know about the Black Widow program?" 

"Not that much," he admitted. "No one seems to want to talk about it. They just say 'ask Romanoff, if you have the nerve to'. "

"Figures. Well, most of it is stuff you want to hear on an empty stomach. But to give you a straighter answer, I've always had a choice, even on the job. SHIELD can fight dirty when they need to, but they aren't so overconfident as to force an agent--male or female--into activities like that. Not unless the agent is very expendable, and I assure you I'm not."

"I don't understand that. Don't you...want a husband someday? A family?"

"I have family. It's just not the conventional hubby, two point five kids and a dog. And as for marriage, no. " She stretched her arms carelessly over her head, let them drop.

"What about you? No special lady or gentleman in your life?"

"No."

"Are you blushing?" She giggled, then looked thoughtful. "I see. Everyone's been thinking you're the married-to-his-job sort, but that's not it at all, is it? You're shy!"

"I don't...Dames didn't look twice at me before I had the serum. Now I'm not sure what they see, but it feels like it still isn't Steve."

"Huh." Natasha scrunched her forehead. There was a gleam in her eyes that made him faintly nervous. 

"Well. Thanks for being patient with me. " He didn't quite salute before he went off to box for a few hours. 

He was walking fast, that's all, not running!


End file.
